Carly sat up on the metal tray and slipped off her clothing. Except her underwear. "That has to come, too,"
Dr. Laura said, and Carly sheepishly peeled off her panties and unclipped her bra. "You ever seen a
gingerbread man with underwear?"
Carly had never seen a gingerbread man that used to be a person, either, though. And she wasn't even given
notice of when the injection would be made - she simply felt a prick in her upper arm, and it was done.
"You're going to be delicious," Dr. Laura said, touching Carly's knee. "I'd loved to have a piece of you, but
I've got a feeling you'll be on display for customers soon enough".
Carly gulped. Had this been a mistake? She felt incredibly nauseated. But that wasn't anxiety - that was the
beginning of the change. She felt a clamminess on her skin. Placing a finger to the smooth surface, she was
amazed to feel flower across her body. Further still, he fingerprint left an indentation - she was doughy.
"Just relax, lie down for me," a doctor said. Carly did as instructed, lying down flat on the baking tray.
Carly's hands were clasped at her flat stomach, her knees turned into one another. "You can't lie like that,
silly treat," the young female nurse said to her. "Think about how gingerbread men pose." Carly nervously
adjusted her body shape to match her mental image of a gingerbread man - arms and legs akimbo, upright body.
"Much better," the nurse said.
Movement was getting harder for Carly anyway, her doughy limbs heavy to hold up. She didn't need to do much,
though. The nurse went over to a counter and picked up a large, nozzled utensil, and held it over to Carly's
face. "Smile for me!" The nurse said.
Carly obliged, and felt a heavy dollop of strawberry icing lining her smile. The nurse switched to vanilla and
blueberry icings for her nose, eyes, and buttons to line her torso. Carly's breasts had receded into her chest
- kids don't need iced nipples on their gingerbread men.
With all that done, and Carly resembling a very pale, flour-covered young woman who'd had a major makeup
disaster, the baking tray was carried towards the oven.